Future Vengeance
by Nano Rain
Summary: A one shot, alternate ending. The result of the final battle between... Well duh. - Warning: Character death.


**I definitely have other things to do than write fanfiction, amongst those things would be to continue some of my fanfictions, but I was searching through my old stuff and found this. I must have written it forever ago, but it was pretty good so I did some editing and ta-da. Clearly this sort of thing is no longer going to happen based on current events in the manga *sigh* but I can dream. This is really how the story should end _ Anyway, enjoy. Feedback is great!**

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He stands at the ruins of the village he once loved. His legs were weak, wobbling even as he struggled to remain upright. He couldn't protect it. Bodies were crushed under debris, the faces of Hokage carved into stone smashed and toppled over buildings. His best friend and rival is standing only a yard in front of him, grasping onto his sword charged with lighting chakra. And the sword stretches into Naruto's chest, very close to his heart. The jacket he wears almost every day of the year is torn and shredded, revealing charred skin. His blood spreads over the cloth, soaking into the orange and black fabric.

But likewise, Naruto's palm is outstretched, as if reaching for his friend, Sasuke. And at Sasuke's center is a large, gaping hole. "Did you get it?" Naruto chokes out. His grip on Sasuke's shoulder with his other hand tightens, using him for support.

Sasuke narrows his eyes- probably the only reply Naruto was likely to get besides Sasuke's heavy, struggling breath. The dark orbs seemed emptier than normal.

"Your revenge. You sought revenge-" the blond coughs, spouting up blood. "On your brother. When you got it, you weren't satisfied. Then you wanted revenge on all those who looked down on the Uchiha. When you got that, you still weren't satisfied. Then you wanted revenge on the entire village where it all began. When you got it… _How does it feel!?" _The last part came out as an angry scream.

Sasuke continues to say nothing, only gasping for air. Naruto's hands drop to his sides and he begins to pant and cough, wheezing desperately for air. He licks his lips to prepare for the next monologue.

"Don't you see? By trying to erase everything that caused you problems… You only created more! By blindly fumbling around for what you were looking for in the darkness, you missed everything shining and waiting for you in the light! You dove deeper and deeper; not noticing what you wanted was always there beside you!" Naruto pauses to cough. "Tell me Sasuke! How does it feel!?"

"Shut up! " Sasuke's face contorts in fear. Or is it plain madness? The Uchiha had never been an easy one to read.

"What did you plan to do after you got your revenge? Find something else to hate?! Turn on the other countries? Keep killing till there's nothing left?" By this time Naruto's body had begun to sag. He no longer had the strength to keep standing tall. Sasuke was about ready to drop to one knee.

"Shut up." It was one last contest for the two rivals. Who could stay standing longer than the other?

"Look around you Sasuke. Revenge eats everything away! There's no one left! There's no cure to vengeance. It will eat away everything till there's nothing left to bother you! Strong people fight that! But you gave into it." Naruto's voice drops a pitch. He couldn't keep screaming. "I can't even be Hokage now…" He says with a bitter smile.

"Weak… You say? You're just as much of an idiot as always. I was strong enough to beat _you_."

"Same here pal," the gutsy blond answers with a fierce smirk.

Time drags on for a few minutes, but to the two it seems like an eternity. There haggard breaths get raspier and raspier, slowing with each gasp. And then Sasuke falls forward with a grunt. His face lands in the dirt, and he doesn't move. Pained, Naruto drags his body one step closer before he too falls. His face smashes hard into the dirt, and his body goes limp beside his old friend.

"Sasuke…" Under his half lidded gaze, Sasuke's eyes move slowly to stare at Naruto. He has nothing left to say. Then he closes his eyes, feeling as if nothing matters anymore except sleep. To Naruto it's like Sasuke is showing him the defiance of the Uchiha who will never answer his question.

Naruto watches Sasuke's body become still, feeling a pain in his heart worse than any injury. _It's finally over,_ he thinks. A tear slides down his cheek. All he wanted was his friend back. Why did it end up like this?

His heart flutters a few times more, but then stops suddenly. Naruto's bright blue eyes dull a little, still gazing at the ghostly moon.


End file.
